Ayush Farms: For Medicine and the People of the Community

When the Sodhi brothers founded Ayush Herbs their goal was to provide high quality, clean Ayurvedic herbs to the west. Central to that vision was their hometown in Himachal Pradesh, India at the base of the Himalayan Mountains. This area with its pristine air, water and soil has long been considered one of the premier regions for growing organic herbs. Herbs have been wild-crafted and harvested by the tribal people of the Himachal Pradesh region for millennia. By returning to their roots, the brothers’ were able to expand local herb cultivation to support the local economy and provide medicine to people all over the world.

The goals for the herbal farm were many. The Sodhi brothers have taught sustainable wild-crafting practices to ensure the long-term health of these medicinal plants and of the way of life of the people. By partnering with local universities and the government horticulture department, they have opened access to free education on sustainable farming practices for local farmers. These efforts have not only enabled the wild herbs to flourish and serve as effective medicine, but provided better-than-market-wage jobs to members of the community. Ayush also provides community clinics free of charge to those locals who cannot pay, including widowers and women who lack sufficient resources, as well as to those who work for the company.

To provide the essential resources to sustain our farming and extraction facilities, another project has been undertaken. A 5 megawatt hydro-electric facility that utilizes the local river water from the Himalayas effectively provides power to its farms and surrounding area, specifically powering around 25,000 homes and the local government. This serves as a major source not only for sustaining the naturally grown herbs, but for jobs to the local members of the community. Water facilities now exist in areas that historically had none.

Throughout Ayush’s history, our sustainability efforts and commitment to the people of Himachal Pradesh have won recognition from the Indian government. We have received awards for providing outstanding services to society, technological innovation, and product excellence, as well as recognition of commendable entrepreneurship. While the awards are nice we are still focused on people, health, and the planet.